Responsibility charting (RACI) is a technique used to clarify roles and responsibilities for activities and decisions within a process. It involves identifying the key activities and decisions, and then defining the participation of roles as either Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, or Informed. This provides clarity around individual responsibilities and accountability, reduces duplication of work, and improves communication and teamwork. The RACI process involves developing responsibility charts through workshops, documenting and communicating the charts, and follow up to ensure the defined roles are being followed. Benefits include increased productivity, reduced errors, streamlined structures, and better planning and training.

1. Responsibility charting (RACI)

2. What Is RACI ?
Responsibility Charting
Is a technique for identifying functional areas, key activities, and
decision points where ambiguities exist; differences can be
brought into the open and resolved through team effort.
The approach enables management to actively participate in the
process of systematically describing activities, decisions that have
to be accomplished, and to clarify the responsibility that each
plays in relation to those activities and decisions.
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3. Objectives/Benefits
• Assist natural work teams in charting roles and responsibilities
in a consistent manner
• Assist natural work teams with development of implementation
tool kits
• Clarify individual/departmental roles and responsibilities
• Identify accountabilities
• Eliminate misunderstandings, encourage teamwork
• Reduce duplication of effort
• Establish “consults” and “informs” resulting in better
communication
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4. Critical Issue Summary
Opportunity
Roles and Responsibilities • To better understand
• To improve communications
Accountability • To clarify
Responsibilities • To identify authority
Job responsibility • To empower employees with
authority to do it
Role of middle manager • To bring up to speed with
organization structure
Approval • To reduce uncertainty of
multiple reporting
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5. Guidelines
• Remember new culture philosophy when defining roles and
responsibilities
! Eliminate “checkers checking checkers”
! Encourage teamwork
! 100% accuracy not always required
• Place accountability (A) and responsibility (R) at the level closest to the
action or knowledge
• There can be only one accountability per activity
• Authority must accompany accountability
• Minimize the number of consultants (C) and informs (I)
• All roles and responsibilities must be documented and communicated
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6. RACI Stands for:
“A” Accountable “The buck stops here”
“R” Responsible “The doer”
“C” Consult “In the loop”
“I” Inform “Keep in the picture”
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7. Codes
Accountable Position with yes/no authority
Responsible Position working on the activity
Consult Position involved prior to decision
or action
Inform Position that needs to know of the
decision or action
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8. RACI Defined
Accountability The individual who is ultimately responsible. Includes
yes or no authority and veto power. Only one “A” can
“A” be assigned to a function.
Responsibility The individual(s) who actually completes the task, the
doer. This person is responsible for
“R” action/implementation. Responsibility can be shared.
The degree of responsibility is determined by the
individual with the “A”.
Consult The individual(s) to be consulted prior to a final decision
or action. This incorporates two-way communication.
“C”
Inform The individual(s) who needs to be informed after a
decision or action is taken. This incorporates one-way
“I” communication.
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9. Process Steps
Responsibility charting is completed in a six step process:
1. Introductory meetings are conducted to inform key management of the
purpose and requirements of the process
2. Decision and function lists are developed, analyzed and collated into a master
function list.
3. Responsibility workshops are conducted to agree upon function definitions
and to assign codes that describe the type of participation each role will have
toward each function. The output is a responsibility chart.
4. The responsibility charts are documented and reproduced to distribute to all
participants and interfacing organizations.
5. The communication and reinforcement of the new role definitions are
accomplished through meetings with all individuals and departments
involved.
6. Follow-up is conducted to ensure that relationships defined in the process are
being adhered to and to encourage participants to live the roles.
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10. The Output Matrix
Roles of Participants
Decisions Type or degree of
or participation
Activities
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11. RACI Charting
Roles and Responsibilities Analysis
Business Functional Roles
Processes
R A C I C
A R R C C I I
Decisions / C R C C R A
Functions /
Activities C A R R
I C R A C R
I C R A C
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12. Activity Or Decision List Guidelines
1. Avoid obvious or generic activities, for example, “attend meetings”
2. Each activity or decision should begin with a good action verb.
Examples:
evaluate schedule write record determine
operate monitor prepare update collect
approve conduct develop inspect train
publish report review authorize decide
3. When the action verb implies a judgement or a decision (for example,
evaluate, monitor, inspect review), add a phrase to indicate the primary
outcome. Examples:
“Monitor phone service handling of customer requests to identify training
needs”
“Analyze data to locate source of delay”
4. Activities or decisions should be short, concise and apply to a role or
need, not to a specific person.
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13. Definitions
Functional Roles
Decisions /
A position assigned or assumed to
Functions /
accomplish an activity or sub-activity
Activities
An action
R A C I C
that is one A R R C C I I
of several
sequential C R C C R A
steps in the
completion C A R R
of a
business
I C R A C R
process I C R A C
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14. RACI Chart Example
Functional Roles
Employee Secretary Supervisor Region
Decisions / Functions Accounting
1. Document expenses AR
2. Complete expense form AR C
3. Forward to supervisor A R
4. Review C AR
5. Approve I AR
6. Forward to Region R A
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15. Chart Analysis And Review
Vertical Analysis
Functional Roles
R A C I C
A R C C I I
C R C C R A
C A R R
I R A C R
C R A C
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16. Vertical Analysis
If You Find: Then Ask:
Can or need the individual(s) stay on top of so much? Can the
Lots of R’s decision/activity be broken into smaller, more manageable functions?
Does the individual(s) need to be involved in so many activities? Are they
No empty spaces a “gatekeeper” or could management by exception principles be used?
Can C’s be reduced I’s, or left to the individual’s discretion when
something needs particular attention?
No R’s or A’s Should this functional role be eliminated? Have processes changed to a
point where resources should be re-utilized?
Too many A’s Does a proper “segregation of duties” exist? Should other groups be
accountable for some of these activities to ensure checks and balances
and accurate decision making throughout the process? Is this a
“bottleneck” in the process—is everyone waiting for decisions or
direction?
Qualifications Does the type or degree of participation fit the qualifications of this role?
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17. Chart Analysis And Review
Horizontal analysis
R A C I C
A R C C I I
C C R C C R A
I A R C R
C R A C
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18. Horizontal Analysis
If You Find: Then Ask:
No R’s Is job getting done? Some roles may be waiting to approve, be
consulted, or informed. No one sees their role to take the
initiative.
Too many R’s Is this a sign of “over the wall” activities? “Just get it off my
desk ASAP!”
No A’s Why not? There must be an “A.” Accountability should be
pushed down to the most appropriate level.
Too many A’s Is there confusion? “I though you had it!” It also creates
confusion because every person with an “A” has a different
view of how it is or should be done.
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19. Horizontal Analysis (Cont.)
If You Find: Then Ask:
Too few A’s and R’s The process must slow down while the activity is performed
on an “ad hoc” basis. Or the procedure may be outdated and
can be streamlined if not needed.
Lots of C’s Do all the functional roles really need to be consulted? Are
there justifiable benefits in consulting all the roles?
Lots of I’s Do all the roles need to be routinely informed or only in
exceptional circumstances?
Every box filled in They shouldn’t be. If they are, too many people are
involved—usually too many “C’s” and “I’s.”
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20. Get Feedback And Buy-in
• The RACI chart is shown to representative groups of people
covering the roles on the chart
• Their builds are captured and the chart is revised as
appropriate
• The RACI may be validated in conjunction with the other
products of the Project Team
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21. Benefits
• Increased productivity through well defined accountability
• Reduced scrap and rework because need specifications are
clarified
• Increased capacity by eliminating overlaps and
redundancies
• Streamlined organization structure by collapsing unneeded
layers and placing accountability where it belongs
• Better trained people by involving them in workshops
where fellow workers discuss all roles and functions
• Better planning process because of more participation of
team members as a result of building communication
interfaces (consult and inform)
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22. The RACI Process Provides a Clear Basis for Defining
Changes to Accountabilities and Structure
Definition Use
• Project Management—to assign
R Who is RESPONSIBLE?
Who is RESPONSIBLE?
The person who has to do it
(the doer)
responsibilities and ensure tasks get done
The person who makes the • “As Is” Analysis—to diagnose problems in
A Who is ACCOUNTABLE?
Who is ACCOUNTABLE? final decision and has
ultimate ownership
the organisation
• “To Be” Design—to create a new
The person who must be organisation structure that meets the needs of
C Who is CONSULTED?
Who is CONSULTED? consulted before a decision
or action is taken the “To Be” design
The person who must be
I Who is INFORMED?
Who is INFORMED? informed that a decision or
action has been taken
RACI Analysis:
If you find: If you find:
Sample RACI Matrix: Lots of Rs Too many people involved?
Horizontal
Horizontal
PROCESS: Making a process No Rs or As Why do it? Is the job getting done?
change More than one Confusion, indecision?
Functional Roles A
Does everyone consulted add value?
Lots of Cs
Process
Process Line
Line Do they all need to know?
Setter
Setter Operator
Operator
Activities Facilitator Facilitator
Facilitator Facilitator Lots of Is
Plan activities II A A II Lots of Rs Too much work?
Plan activities A A
Vertical
No empty Too much work? Too much
Vertical
Prepare detail
Prepare detail C
C A/R
A/R II space consultation?
Change process documents A R II No Rs or As Can the function be eliminated?
Change process documents A R
Too many As Is accountability at the right level? Is
Perform change
Perform change II A
A R
R R
R the organisation too hierarchical?
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